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Wearing his Classic medal, Ichiro Suzuki (center) carries the Japanese flag after the victory. (Getty)
Yu Darvish strikes out Keun-Woo Jeong to give Japan the '09 Classic titlehttp://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/23/mlbtv_jpnkor_3987961_400K.flv
Ichiro Suzuki snaps a 3-3 with a two-run single in the top of the 10th inninghttp://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/23/mlbtv_jpnkor_3987933_400K.flv
Japan again rises to the top, wins second Classic
The Land of the Rising Sun is arguably the king of global baseball. Ichiro's tiebreaking, two-run single in the 10th gave Japan a 5-3 win over Korea and its second straight Classic title.
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Daisuke Matsuzaka holds up the 2009 World Baseball Classic MVP trophy. (Getty Images)
Daisuke Matsuzaka posted a 3-0 record in the 2009 Classic, striking out 13http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/23/mlbtv_3987969_400K.flv
Daisuke Matsuzaka beats Team USA for his third victory of the 2009 Classichttp://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/22/mlbtv_usajpn_3985993_400K.flv
Dice-K repeats as World Baseball Classic MVP
Japan's Daisuke Matsuzaka was named MVP for the second straight World Baseball Classic. He was 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA in the 2009 tournament, and he's 6-0 with a 1.95 ERA overall.
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"It was the greatest game of my life," Korea starter Jung Keun Bong said of the final. (Getty)
Finalist Korea leaves Classic with no regrets
Although it fell short in their quest to win the '09 Classic, Korea -- now 12-4 all-time in Classic
play -- has little shame being known as the second-best baseball country in the world.
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Mark DeRosa, Brian McCann, Derek Jeter and Brian Roberts watch from the dugout in the ninth. (AP)
Team USA falls to Japan in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classichttp://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/22/mlbtv_3985987_400K.flv
Team USA meets the media after its Classic semifinal loss to Japan http://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2009/03/22/mlbtv_usajpn_3985999_400K.flv
USA unable to overcome mistakes against Japan
After a sixth-place finish in the 2006 Classic, Team USA fared better in 2009 with a berth in the semifinals. But the Americans made too many mistakes vs. Japan, and it cost them.
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